BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Shea Patterson threw five touchdown passes and Nico Collins scored a career-high three times to lead No. 12 Michigan to a 39-14 blowout at Indiana on Saturday.
The Wolverines (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten, No. 13 CFP) have won four straight overall and 24 straight in the series since 1987.
Peyton Ramsey and Stevie Scott III each scored on 1-yard runs for the Hoosiers, but the offense stalled as Patterson started heating up and Indiana (7-4, 4-4) never had a chance. The Hoosiers have lost two in a row since clinching its first winning season in 12 years.
Patterson was the primary reason.
He finished 20 of 32 with 366 yards and one interception, tied a single-game career high with his scoring passes and now has nine TD passes over the past two weeks. He also topped the 5,000-yard mark in his Michigan career during the game.
And, with some help from his receivers, Patterson made it look easy.
After Scott opened the game with his 1-yard scoring run, Patterson hooked up with Ronnie Bell for a 6-yard TD pass to tie the score. Ramsey answered with a 1-yard TD plunge but Donovan Peoples-Jones made a spectacular, spinning 11-yard TD catch to tie it at 14.
Patterson gave Michigan its first lead with a perfect 24-yard scoring strike to Nico Collins with 5:33 left in the first half, Quinn Nordin’s 24-yard field goal made it 24-14 and the Wolverines sealed the victory with a 76-yard TD pass from Patterson to Collins and Dylan McCaffrey’s conversion run midway through the third.
Collins tacked on the final score on a 19-yard catch with 1:39 left in the third to make it 39-14. He had six receptions for a career high 165 yards.
Ramsey was 17 of 29 with 217 yards and one interception while Scott ran 13 times for 54 yards.
Indiana drew first blood in a Big Ten battle in Bloomington on Saturday afternoon.
A 75-yard, 10-play drive culminated with a Steve Scott one-yard touchdown run and a 7-0 Hoosiers’ lead less than five minutes into the game (after the extra point).
Michigan later mounted an 80-yard drive of its own, capped off by a six-yard Shea Patterson TD toss to Ronnie Bell, knotting the score.
In the second stanza, Peyton Ramsey ran one in for an Indiana touchdown and the lead once again, 14-7. About midway through the quarter, Michigan quarterback Patterson connected with Donovan Peoples-Jones on an 11-yard scoring strike. Michigan’s defense started tightening up late in the half, forcing a few Indiana three-and-outs.
The Wolverine offense took advantage. It drove downfield 80 yards in just four plays, and Patterson hit Nico Collins for a TD with 5:37 left in the 2nd quarter. Michigan took the 21-14 lead into halftime.
Patterson completed 13 of his 18 first-half passes, while Ramsey hit on 10 of 15 passes, but also threw an interception to Daxton Hill. Stevie Scott III rushed for 50 yards, including a 17-yard scamper, for Indiana. Nico Collins had 70 receiving yards in the first half, including the touchdown grab. Giles Jackson had one grab good for 50 yards.
THE TAKEAWAY
Michigan: The Wolverines couldn’t feel any better heading into next weekend’s showdown with No. 2 Ohio State. They’re playing their best ball of the season and have as much momentum as they’ve had heading into the annual rivalry during coach Jim Harbaugh’s tenure.
Indiana: This wasn’t just another loss to Michigan. It was humbling and costly. The Hoosiers hung close until Ramsey got hurt during the first half and then never really got in sync after Ramsey returned. Then with 40 seconds left in the third, left tackle Matthew Bedford and Scott were injured on the same play. Bedford was carted off the field while Scott limped off.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Michigan: Penn State’s loss may give the surging Wolverines a chance to crack the top 10, just in time for their biggest game of the season.
Indiana: Saturday’s rout ends any hope of the Hoosiers returning to the Top 25 for the second time in three weeks.
UP NEXT
Michigan: Will be at home trying to snap a seven-game losing streak against the Big Ten East champion Buckeyes next Saturday.
Indiana: Makes the short trip to rival Purdue with visions of winning back the Old Oaken Bucket for the first time in three years.
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